Media: OT for Newspaper employees?

 

 (NOTE: The Montgomery Advertiser is owned by Gannett.)

"New York (CNN Business)The NewsGuild, a labor union that represents thousands of journalists, is investigating the workplace culture of US newspaper conglomerate Gannett (GCI), starting with the issue of unpaid overtime work.

NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss sent a letter to Gannett CEO Mike Reed last Friday about the union's plan to launch an investigation and requested the company do the same. The union also called on Gannett, which owns USA Today and more than 260 local publications including The Arizona Republic, the Detroit Free Press and The Indianapolis Star, to agree to other labor protections proposed in the ongoing union bargaining taking place in some of its newsrooms."

 

FULL CNN story is HERE.

Protests Promoting Alabama Medicaid Expansion

 Groups gathered in several cities in Alabama, including Montgomery, to push for Medicaid expansion. It is not a new issue...Alabama is one of a dozen states that have refused to expand the program that provides health care for the poor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

     The small but enthusiastic Montgomery group met at the Unitarian Church at sunset, lighting candles and singing hymns.

      

 

     Some 314 thousand people would gain health insurance if Governor Ivey and the legislature agreed to the expansion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Governor has said repeatedly the state does not have funding to provide the expansion, although the original offer from the Federal Government paid for most of it.
By saying no, Alabama effectively rejected almost $5-Billion in funding.
 

The www.healthinsurance.org website supports expansion, and reports on the benefits the state would receive by doing so:

"To qualify for federal Medicaid funding, states are required to cover low-income children, pregnant women, parents of minor children, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Coverage for additional groups is optional, with the state receiving additional funding for the groups it elect to include in its program.

The federal government sets baseline eligibility levels, which states can adjust upwards. The income limits vary widely by category and by state.

Alabama’s current Medicaid eligibility criteria are more limited than many other states. The state’s program covers:

• Children up to 146% of the federal poverty level (FPL); children up to 312% of FPL qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Pregnant women up to 146% of FPL
• Parents and caretaker relatives up to 18% of FPL
• Elderly and disabled individuals with certain medical conditions and income levels.

Childless adults in Alabama are not eligible for Medicaid."

 Here is a map of the states that have, and have not expanded Mediciad:

COVID19 State Death Rates

Alabama has the 2nd highest in the U.S. behind Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

Florida
Deaths per 100,000: 1.64
Daily average deaths: 352.6

Alabama
Deaths per 100,000: 1.56
Daily average deaths: 76.3

 

Full list of states is HERE.

UPDATED TWICE (with a question at the bottom) So Who Opposes The Feds Negotiating for prescription drug prices?

From a story on The Hill website:

"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that House Democrats' leading bill, known as H.R. 3, would save the government almost $500 billion over 10 years on prescription drugs and lower the cost of drugs by about 50 percent by allowing the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices."

     Three "moderate" House Democrats---and basically all Republicans---oppose H.R. 3.  They've also been recipients of donations from "Big Pharma".

     But the proposal has widespread public support...about 90%! And all 106 co-sponsors are Democrats.

    Watch TV for ads attacking the legislation. 

     From the drug companies, of course.

     Use your common sense. Why should the Federal Government, in spending OUR TAX DOLLARS, have its hands tied to prevent it from negotiating lower prices for the prescriptions drugs it buys for federal health insurance programs. Right. It should not.  

UPDATE:

A question: so the Republicans oppose reduced government spending????? And they oppose helping Americans reduce their medical costs? Really? 

Look at the original House vote on HR3 in 2019: The Alabama delegation voted 6-1 AGAINST it, with all of the Republicans voting no and the only  Democrat (Rep. Sewell) voting yes.

This sign is missing only one thing: an up arrow.

 

 

 

Hard to believe a year has passed

since he died.

Followed way too quickly

by Jeannie,

both missed daily if not hourly.

Thank you both for everything.

CBS Sunday Morning visits Mayberry.

 

     But the visit hit a sour note with some viewers because correspondent Ted Koppel asked some political questions. Wait till you watch the Q&A with folks riding across town in a bus, about 10 minutes into the report.

Watch the segment HERE.

Covid Deaths

 Here is a breakdown of average daily COVID-19 deaths and COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people over the last seven days in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The data was last updated Sept. 17.

Alabama ranks 11th.

 

Note: States are ranked by deaths per 100,000. The list includes ties. 

Florida
Deaths per 100,000: 1.69
Daily average deaths: 362.6

Mississippi
Deaths per 100,000: 1.42
Daily average deaths: 42.1

South Carolina
Deaths per 100,000: 1.34
Daily average deaths: 68.9

Idaho
Deaths per 100,000: 1.22
Daily average deaths: 21.9

Louisiana
Deaths per 100,000: 1.15
Daily average deaths: 53.4

Georgia
Deaths per 100,000: 1.12
Daily average deaths: 119.6

Arkansas
Deaths per 100,000: 1.07
Daily average deaths: 32.3

Texas
Deaths per 100,000: 1.03
Daily average deaths: 297.3

West Virginia
Deaths per 100,000: 0.99
Daily average deaths: 17.7

Wyoming
Deaths per 100,000: 0.96
Daily average deaths: 5.6

Alabama
Deaths per 100,000: 0.89
Daily average deaths: 43.4

See the full state list HERE.

 

U.S. Air Force 74th Birthday

 

Night Blooming Cereus (Again)

 

Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga - Love For Sale (Official Music Video)

Of states scheduled to receive Afghanistan refugees, Alabama and Mississippi are receiving the smallest number.

CBS News reports the two states will receive just TEN refugees.  

That's right: TEN each for Alabama and Mississippi.

 

 

For comparison, here are the numbers for surrounding states:

Georgia: 1,500

Tennessee: 415

Florida: 1,000

Texas: 4,500

S. Carolina: 175

Louisiana: 59

Arkansas: 98

Four states are receiving NONE:
Hawaii, South Dakota, West Virginia,Wyoming and Washington D.C. are not slated to receive anyone from the first group of evacuees

HERE is the CBS report.

Math error doomed The Hyundai-owned Golden Ray

 

The investigation into the accident that destroyed millions of dollars worth of vehicles and the ship carrying them has concluded it was caused by a math error. The officials on the ship entered the wrong numbers into a computer program designed to makes sure a ship's cargo is stable. Oh, and they left some doors open too.

 As CNN reports:

"As a result of its investigation, the NTSB recommended that the operator of the vessel, G-Marine Service Co. Ltd., create procedures for verifying stability calculations before a vessel leaves port.

It also recommended the company verify the crew follows a departure checklist regarding the closing of watertight doors.

On the Golden Ray, the NTSB found, "the two watertight doors had been left open for almost 2 hours before the accident. However, no one on the bridge ensured that the doors were closed before departure from the port."

    

 The old computer adage---"garbage in garbage out"--- perhaps applies here?

 

  

 

 

   The crews that have been working to cut the ship into pieces for disposal are down to their last cut, though there will be more cleanup on the sea bottom before the job is finished.

New Bloom

 My night Blooming Cereus Plant offered this beauty last night:

 

 

Covid Religious Exemption? Prove it.

 

 "An attestation form from Conway (Ark.) Regional Health System asks employees requesting a religious exemption from the hospital's COVID-19 vaccine mandate to confirm they will not use certain everyday medications, such as Benadryl, Sudafed and Tylenol, in alignment with their sincerely held religious belief."

If you won't take the Covid19 vaccine because of your religious beliefs, let's add other over-the-counter meds to your banned list, OK? 

Source: Becker's Hospital Review story HERE

World's Oldest Trees Endangered

 "The wildfires that burned more than four million acres in California this year were both historic and prophetic, foreshadowing a future of more heat, more fires and more destruction. Among the victims, this year and in the years to come, are many of California’s oldest and most majestic trees, already in limited supply."

N.Y. Times photo story HERE.

 

     Now the base of the largest tree---ironically named General Sherman has been covered  in protective aluminum: